Monday, June 29, 2009

Healthcare

As a student of journalism (I'm hesitant to throw myself under that bus), the news just infuriates me. I understand the reasons. I understand the mechanics, the form, the usage, but it still infuriates me.

Take this little piece for example. Straight from one of the most respected papers in the union, we have nothing, fluff. The real story is health care reform. You say those words anywhere and you're likely to start a debate. Yet, the news only covers what is not being done. The entire story is covering how Obama is taking the debate to the states. Well, what is the debate? Does anyone really know? Is single payer on the desk? Who are the factions they speak of, and what are they doing?

No, you won't find answers to these questions, but you will learn that the president is planning on going to Virginia to host a meeting and will be taking questions from such public forums as Twitter and Facebook. Of all the things covered in the article, this is probably the most important. Yeah, I know you all thought I was going to point fun.

Think about it. When was the last time we had a president, or any elected official, who was trying to decentralize power? He is taking the debate to the states, to the grassroots, to the people, to us. When I read the following:

With Democrats deeply divided over health legislation, President Obama is trying to enlist the nation’s governors and his own army of grass-roots supporters in a bid to increase pressure on lawmakers without getting himself mired in the messy battle playing out on Capitol Hill.

I had hope for the world.

I've found that power in the hands of a few is dangerous and never beneficial for the masses, the environment, or anything. While taking the wealth and power and spreading it to the masses is beneficial for all. Except of course those who are desperately trying to centralize their power and funnel the wealth upwards to their pocket books.

But I digress, where is the researched story addressing the questions? Good luck finding one.